The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-11-25
SOUTH MOUNTAIN AND ANTIErAM.
Battles in Which Soldierly Push and Daring
Would Have Destroyed Lees Army.


correspondence of the Indianapo is Journal
SHARPsBURG. Md, Nov. 2l.-Boonsboro is the
name given by the Confederates to the battle
fought two miles southeast of there For a vii
laRe it is delightful place. Situated three
miles from a railroad, having manufactures.
il rests peacefully in the midst of rich aercult
ural district undisturbed By the whirl of busy
world. The National road forms one street, and
another road. at right angles. the only remaining
one, each for half mile in length being street
But how different from the typical Western vii
lage, The streets graded and grsveled. some
times with broken stone; the cutters bowl
dered and the entire sidewalk paved with brick
The houses Of the old pattern, every one
bailt TO the inner margin of the pavement
Nearly everyone has stoop portico In
front, with slate iutting we'll out on the side
walk. very excellent hotel accommodates the
traveller.
The North calls the battle fought near these
the Battle of South Mountain" from the name
of a mountain near by. This mountain is part
of the Blue Ridge; and Ave miles east Is the
Catocsin range, q century and better ago spelt
s'Katocktin" On it's top stands edfice kown
rs ''Washington's Monument" From its sum-
NIT view of all the country many miles in cir
euit is obtained the whole battle field OF Antie-
tam, SIX miles southwest, the whole of Pleasant
Valley to the south, and the valley between the
two ranges named to the east. As an observa-
tory during the battle it was of little value
owing to the dense weeds browning the summit
pf the Blue Ridge.
The battle was fought on Sept IA, 1862 in
three distinct places. The first was Turner's
Gap, whore the National road crosses the Blue
h0r xp;1ou 1T
boro. in which town Lee had his headeuar-
ters. The very summit of this gapis cultivated,
and there is situated fine property, the sum-
mer house of Mrs Dalehren, of Washington.
widow of Admiral Daiehren, spacious mansion
with fine surroundings, once hotel when travel
Mountain House" It stands the of the
horseshoe formed by the mountain slopes to the
southeast A hundred yards below, as the pike
ascends the slope, was the heaviest part of the
battle Nature seldom offers a finer feast for
our eyes than presented to one standing by
the little chapel In front of the residence In
the thickly wooded heights to left, well
down to the heel of the horseshoe. along which
ran a dirt road. mile and better away.
Garnet. kemper Jenkins. Rodes and Evans
under LoDgstreet, while opposed to them were
Hatch, Ricketts, and Meade. under Burnside
At the center was ColquiGt, long since Governor
of Georgia and opposed to him GIbbon. The
height to the right partially occupied by
General Cox, of Ohio. Gibbon mad fonr regl-
ments. the Second, Sixth and Seventh Wscon-
SIN, and Nineteenth Indiana opposed TO them,
behind stone wall still standing. were the
Twenty-third and Twenty-eiehth Georgia On
the Union side three hundred and eighteen men
fell killed or wounded one hundred and forty
seven out of a regiment of three hundred and
seventy-6ve. The rebels lost less than one hun
dred. This the severest fighting ground,
and was not won by us but evacuated by the
enemy.
About one mile and half tsome say two)
further southwest,is Foxs Gar. Early In the day
severe fighting took place there It south of
n1r and hQf err
Gap are thick woods During the entire battle
sne federal generals laboced under the i'm pres
sion that these woods were full Of rebels, whom.
Ia fact, they were not. When the morning Of
the battle dawned Longstreet was at Hagers-
town, twelve miles away. to tho northwest, on
the National road. He did not reach Turner's
Gap until late in the day
AZ Fox's Gap was Hood, Law, G. T. Audsr-
son, G. B. Anderson. Drayton and Garland. OPP
posed to them were Cox Wilcox. Rodman, Fair
child, Reno. Harland and Stures. Through
this gap runs Braddock's old road. The prin-
cipal contest took place in old field, known
by the name of the owner, Wise. In it Garland
was killed, and the spot where he received
his mortal wound General Reno fell wounded
The spot is an ordinary mountain field fenced
with stone. Wise's house is One-story cabin,
from which he has long since moved and which
a mounraineeer. with his tow headed family,
now occupies. The we'll at this place was filled
with rebel dead. 1t is lonely place. and but
Cor this chance battle few would have ever heard
Of it.
Four miles further southwest, at Crompton's
Gap, early in the day, was fought another por-
ton of the battle of South Noun tain Franklin
commanded the UuioE forces, and Cobb part of
the rebels. This was, in fact, desperate en-
gagement. which took place while the hight at
Fox's and Turner's gaps was progressing. Near
the gaps lives George Alfred Townsend-Gath.
of the Euquirer-on fine farm
On the part of the confederates the battle or
South Mountain was fought for delay. While it
was progressing Walker was on London Heights,
McLaws on MARYLAND Heights, and Ssonewall
jackson on Bolivar Heights, beleaguerine the
garrison of IL, 500 federalists cooped in Harp
ers Ferry. jackson had crossed the Potomac,
turning from Maryland and West Virginia. to
chase General White from Martinsburg into
Harper's Ferry. Mcclellan, when Lee was
interposiug himself between the latter place
drawn and placed under his charge; but Hal
leck, with masterful incompetency on this point,
refused TO allow it These garrisons could not
hold either Of these places if be-
sieged; and the enemy could afford to let
them remain as to cut off his com munication.
If Mcclellan had pushed his force at South
Mountain he could have cut the forces of Lee in
two, and beaten them in detail. In his hands
had fallen the celebrated ''lost order" of Lee,
wherein detailed all the movements of the
enemy for several days. This order was found
BY an Indiana man, resident few years ago
near Columbus, that State, and carrisd by Prof.
John nj. Bloss, Superintendent of Public In
struction of Indiana IN 1851 and 1882, to the
commanding general With the knowledge of
this order and that the forces of the enemy
were divided. the lack of energy in Mcclellan
Is unexpainable. General Walker says he
heard the battle while London Heights, and
although forbidden by Jackson to fire until he
received orders to do, he exposed his men
purposely so as to draw the fire of the federal
sts and thus expedite the fall of the beleaguered
town. jackson contemplated giving the federal
commander tweuty-four hours In which to sur
render which would probably have resulted ia
tally 10 Lees whole army.
Mcclellan took two whole days TO go from
Turner's Gap to the bap ks of the Antieter1, a
distance of eight miles, through beautiful val
leys and over hills. If he had pushed
ahead the morning after the battle of South
Mountain he could have struck Lee before Jack
son. or McLaws, Walker, A. P. Hill
could have reached him.
These days were McClellans opportunity,
and he missed them. He might have written
his name high on the heights of fame, had he
not lacked energy. too much caution true
10y atty. His force compared with Lees
was an overwhelming Both at South
Mountain and when he first came to the banks
of the Antietam. he had three men to Lees one.